African Beauty
by xXxJazzy B. RealxXx
Summary: Her hair was the only thing that identified her as ‘African Beauty.’ Without it, she wouldn’t even look as if she were to be mixed between two different nationalities. Even if she was often called, ‘the little white girl with an afro.'


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**African Beauty**

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_Disclaimer: I did not own The Boondocks or its cast. Juuust in case you don't know, I'm also "Lovely Red Rose" from "The Wonderful World of Makebelieve" who wrote all those Boondocks stories. Now this story is OOOOLD and trashy, I was definitely thirteen here. Think you can enjoy it?_

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Her hair was the only thing that identified her as 'African Beauty.' Without it, she wouldn't even look as if she were to be mixed between two different nationalities. Even if she was often called, 'the little white girl with an afro,' her hair was what made her Jazmine Dubois.

"…I hate it…" she moaned as she picked at her puff ball in the back of her oval noggin. "…It's so big, and…fruffy."

"Maybe if you wore it in two pigtails again, it won't look so much like an afro, but instead, two puffballs."

She frowned at Huey Freeman with huffed cheeks as all he continued to do was read the daily newspaper. If TV got really bad to where boredom was his only option, he'd sit atop their favorite hill, against their favorite tree and read the newspaper. He'd probably do this almost everyday of the week.

"Oh? Well you have an afro too!" Jazmine put her hands on her hips, tapping her foot on the grassy earth.

Huey lowered the newspaper to stare up at her with one single eyebrow hoisted. "Yes, but the difference is yours is bigger."

"You're so heartless, Huey Freeman! Hmph!" She tossed her head in sass, her 'afro' tied in a ponytail bouncing.

Huey's eyebrow arched higher. He just shrugged and went back to his newspaper.

Every year was different, or rather, she was different. Well, she wouldn't change too drastically, but sometimes she acted different around him; closer maybe? Much more clingy? But besides that, her appearance was different every year. This year of twelve, she decided to wear her hair in a high ponytail more often. She thought it was more 'stylish,' but all it did was make her usual two puffballs combine in one, for a final transformation of an afro. A large, orange-ish blonde afro. Yes, much bigger than his.

"Who cares about the way it looks. It's fine the way it is." He mumbled.

Jazmine's head snapped back around to him in widened eyes. "Really?" she gasped. "You really think so, Huey?"

"It's called, 'African Beauty.' Defines you as an African descendant. Your hair is as real as Africa can get." His words were vague, only because it was hard to tell if he was complimenting or insulting her.

"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said about my hair…" she smiled shyly.

He looked over his newspaper again.

Pause.

"…What…?" he asked in confusion.

"Do you really think its African Beauty?" she grinned, her hands clasped.

Pause.

"…I think you misinterpreted what I was trying to say." he quickly covered up.

Jazmine's grin suddenly turned upside down. "Then what were you trying to say? That my hair's nappy, is that it?"

"…I wouldn't call it nappy…just 'a little frizzy.' Nothing to be ashamed of."

Jazmine pouted before him, wanting to shout to him something, but couldn't find her words. She just stared down on him angrily as the breezes scattered the grass blades of the hill for about five minutes. Five minutes of awkward silence, not that Huey cared or was even paying attention to her by now.

Bored of the silence unbroken between them, she found her seat beside him and began to stare at him to make him look at her. Huey just continued on reading his newspaper intently and blocking all life around him out of his world. Jazmine's expression saddened with the lean of her head. She looked at his newspaper and loomed over it curiously.

"…What are you reading, Huey…?"

"Junk." He replied immediately.

"Is it interesting?"

"…That depends on what you think of the new election that Bush cheated through once AGAIN, still ignoring the rights of the electoral processes. When is white American going to figure out Bush is the main threatening terrorist of the United States? Like I said, junk."

"…Where does it say that?" Jazmine leaned to the side to see the newspaper section wherever the statement was made. "…Can I see…?" but she leaned too close for Huey's comfort when he felt her hip brush his.

An electrical body shockwave ran all throughout his body and frizzed all the way to his afro animatedly to indicate a chilled flinch. Without looking at her, he scooted a little further away from her.

Jazmine blinked and scooted towards him again, still trying to see the newspaper. "Huey, can I see please?" she asked more urgently now.

She scooted up against him to where there was no gap between their sides, and her head was tilting into him, trying to read the newspaper section which was on his far side. Unknowingly, her head brushed the side of his shoulder, giving him another electrical body shockwave.

After a minute they were silent again, and she knew her head was against his shoulder, but she didn't bother to move it. "…I don't see it…" she sounded as if she were going to yawn, and fall asleep right there against him. She scooted up closer to him, her arm now up under his when a breeze waltzed the hill's greenery.

That's what he truly disliked about the new her. She thought it was always okay to be so close to him. He missed it when they were ten, when they had gaps between each other most of the time. He didn't dwell on annoyance or care if she admired him from a distance, but now she got accustom to having his closeness. And he'd never admit this, but it made him…flustered. And all knows what it means if someone as steely and cold as Huey could possibly be flustered because of a simple GIRL. He knew this too, and it scared the daylights out of him…more than he could say. So the only way to push the feeling farther back was to act colder, to ignore it entirely. But it was near impossible when she got so close…

Finally he just couldn't take the feeling of her so in his air anymore—

"Jazmine!" he yelled out of the blue, making her jerk back. "Are you looking for the column or a nap on me?!"

"I-I'm sorry, Huey." She apologized, looking down in guilt.

He spread out the newspaper again and began reading, eyebrows furrowed deeper.

"Hey, Huey?"

"What?" his eyes darted over to her, seeing her picking at her puffy ponytail again in unhappiness.

"…Do you really think it's just a little frizzy?"

He narrowed his eyes in somewhat annoyance. "…Sure…"

She perked up a little, but then erased the small smile off her face when she saw the sarcastic look in his face. Jazmine Dubois sighed in uncertainty and hugged her knees to her chest. "…I wish my hair was beautiful…and then maybe I could be beautiful too…" She buried her face into her knees. 'And then maybe Huey will notice me also…'

It wasn't a love-interest that made the thought pop up in her head. Just naturally, as a girl, she wanted him to notice her. For once, she wanted him to see her in a new view. She wanted to see a new expression on his face when he looked at her. He was her best, rather, only friend. So…wouldn't any girl?

**Woodcrest Neighborhood**

They made their way back to their block of the neighborhood, Huey walking with his hands in his pockets and Jazmine right beside him with her hands tied behind her back and looking up thoughtfully at the already night sky.

"It's nightfall already." She smiled brighter. "And the stars are so pretty, too…"

As they passed a nearby trashcan, Huey balled up his newspaper and aimed it perfectly at the round hollow mouth of the garbage eater. "We better get there before they start dinner without us."

"Oh yeah, we're all having dinner at your house tonight, huh?" she put a finger to her chin in thought, trying to remember. "…I almost forgot all about that. I can't wait!" she cheered. "Do you mind if I sit next to you and Riley?" she smiled sweetly, leaning on his side as they walked.

"…Go ahead," he shrugged. "I don't really care."

"So what's Granddad cooking up?"

"Who knows…hopefully something that isn't life-threatening or forces repeated trips to the bathroom."

Jazmine giggled a little. "…Yeah, that's true."

As they went on walking, she began to hum this little song in her head, and then finally sing it to herself with her eyes closed,  
"_Oh, when you walk by every night  
Talking sweet and looking fine  
I get kinda hectic inside  
Mmm, baby I'm so into you  
Darling, if you only knew  
All the things that run through my mind  
But it's just a sweet, sweet fantasy, baby  
When I close my eyes  
You come and you take me  
On and on and on  
So deep in my daydreams  
But it's just a sweet, sweet fantasy, baby  
Shoe do do do do do do do  
Shoe do do do do do do yeah  
And I want ya', Ooooh, oh baby  
Shoe do do do do do do do  
Shoe do do do do do do yeah_…"

Huey just stared at her awkwardly with his right eyebrow raised again. "…What are you doing?" he questioned, head fully turning round to her with eyes slightly widened.

"Singing!" she smiled over to him. "It's a Mariah Carey song, one of my favorites. I've had it in my head all morning since we left the block!"

Huey looked away and closed his eyes, scratching the back of his head, already knowing. "No wonder…"

She looked back up at the night's big blue sky, adoring the vague blue and diamond-colored stars gleaming like a million lighthouses all at once. The reflection of their dim glow glistened against her softened emerald-bright eyes. "…Huey…" she whispered lowly. "…do you think, it would be alright to stay up on the hill and see the stars? …I mean, from the hill where there are no buildings or houses, the stars are more beautiful."

"You can ask your parents, and maybe they'll let you."

"…What about Granddad?"

"What about him?"

"What would he say if you asked him?"

Huey stopped in his tracks immediately. "…Oh…you meant…ah."

"That's not a problem, is it?" she smiled at him sadly, hopingly. "I like the time we spend together, it's…fun."

He just stared at her for a moment, finally shaking his head. "…No," his eyes stayed glued to the surface of the concrete floor as he went on walking. "…it's not a problem…" He suddenly flinched when Jazmine let out a loud gasp.

"Oh Huey look!" she grabbed under his arm and pointed to the sky.

"W-What? What?! What is it?" his eyes found her destination.

A shooting star quickly streaked across the ocean full of stars, bright and soaring.

"…Make a wish…" she looked to him with big eyes, clutching his arm tighter.

And that's when he recalled the time when he was three, when he was happy in those past times, and on this similar starry night, took the foolishness to wish upon a shooting star just for the heck of it, and he wished for his parents to never abandon him or his baby brother as the infant napped in his cradle that night. The wish never came true…and betrayed them both.

"…I don't believe in wishes…it's just part of some stupid fairytale." his eyes narrowed, and his voice had darkened. Roughly he pulled his arm out of her tight grasp and put both hands in his pockets, head bowed, eyes looking away miserably. "…Make your own wish…"

It wasn't necessarily what he said that disturbed her, but how he said it. He could break the glass hearts of every girl or person with his tone. It was his tone that made him dominant over his opinions and words, that made him Huey. The dislike, carelessness, sarcasm and ruthlessness in his voice could kill a thousand souls closet to him. And that was just enough to shatter all her smiles and happiness. Jazmine Dubois stared at him with inconsolable eyes. She kept her hands to herself now, her own eyes on the floor.

And this is what she truly disliked about him, too. He was always pulling away from her, or so cold toward her…no, COLDER. Huey Freeman was the unsmiling youth of Woodcrest. He was never one to smile. Not once had he even smirked, not in her presence. He was always so miserable. But she hoped that maybe, just maybe she could change that…by a long, impossible shot.

Jazmine spun around on her heel and looked up at the sky again, smiling. "Alright…then I wish…that my hair will be no longer big, poofy and nappy!"

Huey's eyes fell upon her in curiosity, coming to life now. "That's just stupid…you can't wish to not have nappy hair. You were born with it. You can't remove what you were born with."

"Yeah, well I don't like what I was born with!" she bounced her puffy hair, grunting in disapproval. "…I want it to be pretty…and not so…big and ugly!"

He sighed in failure. "Look, just don't go changing too much…you're fine the way you are now." Huey began walking down the street corner as she just stayed behind, staring at his back in somewhat embarrassment or shyness.

Quickly she ran after him, walking beside him again, her eyes glued to each step she took. "…Do you…do you really think so?" A blush was splattered all along her face.

"Jazmine, I'm not saying it again just so you can think I was trying to be romantic or something close to it…" he explained flat out and clear. He knew how she thought.

"…I know!" she pouted. "I just…" she fiddled with the end of her coat, blabbering thoughts hitting the edges of her inner skull. "…you've never said anything like that before…"

He didn't comment. He just stared at her in confusion. Did it matter?

Soon enough they were close enough to Huey's house to where they could see just over the hedges. Both their eyes dilated when they saw the light from within the house fall upon the darkness outside as the door opened, and they could see the heads of the people walking out, laughter following.

"We'll be here next Sunday, Robert, oh and thanks for the meal." Mr. Dubois's farewell rang through their ears.

"Uh-oh! I think we just missed it!" Huey shouted as he checked his watch. "C'mon!" he grabbed her wrist and sprinted off.

"Dinner? We missed dinner?" Jazmine cried. "But I'm still hungry!" she complained, blushing at the same time as he led her down the road.

But they were already too late. Thomas and Sarah Dubois were already making there way across the street, but Huey and Jazmine showed up just before Granddad shut the door.

"Huey?" Granddad shifted his glasses to focus the lenses clearly on the two moving figures. "BOY!" he shouted. "Why on earth are you just now comin' home? Dinner was scheduled hours ago; we waited almost an hour for y'all to show up, my food almost got cold because of you! You know I ain't eattin' no cold food! Don't just stand there huffin' and puffin', explain ya' self!"

Huey panted exhaustedly, trying to catch a good breath to begin his explanation. "Sorry Granddad, but we—"

"I ain't got time to hear no accuses!" Granddad shouted over Huey's voice, pointing to the door demandingly. "Not get in that house before I take my belt out!"

Jazmine's hearing tuned out all those voices as her eyes were glued to the image of Huey's hand still clutching her wrist. She slowly found his face, blinking in utter disbelief and daydream as she stared at the disgruntled profile of his face, his lips mouthing mutedly. Finally sound came back to her senses.

"But, Granddad, I'm trying to explain to you—"

**-SMACK-**

"OW!!!" Huey groaned as he held his forehead where the bump had been marked in a swollen bruise.

"BOY! How many times do I have to tell you not to talk back! Now get in there!"

"But what about Jazmine?!" Huey's eyes slanted as he continued to caress his swollen forehead.

"Oooooh," Granddad scratched his chin. "I almost forgot about her…walk her home, will you? And don't take too long, we need you to clear the dishes." Granddad about-faced and quickly shut the door.

Yup, that was Granddad; always the one quick to make no sense.

Huey sighed, and then suddenly winched.

"Does it hurt a lot, Huey?" Jazmine asked him worriedly, along with a pair of concerned eyes.

Huey turned his head to her, one eye shut to bear the pain.

Jazmine gazed at him, shades of her skin the pale blue of the moonlight that descended upon all of Woodcrest. Her big, green eyes seemed to hold a dear light against them, dancing in ghostly forms to show her eagerness for his answer. And the whole time the silence went unbroken, she hadn't blinked, nor had the look on her face faded.

Huey's burgundy red orbs lit up from its darkened shade.

Why did she have to look at him like that? So sad and longing? He hated when her eyes chanted spells over his will. But there was something that he couldn't deny that she was at night, she was different at night, she was—

He shook the thought off, and finally redeemed himself to look away in shut eyes. "…I'm fine…" he jerked back when he felt her hand tug his arm. His protruded pupils drew back to her.

"…Can we go now…?" she asked him softly.

Huey blinked with this rare look of fear smeared on his face. Slowly he nodded. "…Y-yeah…"

Together they walked across the street and immediately appeared on Jazmine's doorstep.

Before Jazmine raised her fist to knock against the hard wood of her door, she spun around to face Huey, this wide smile lifted up on her cheeks. "…Thanks…" she said in a mere whisper.

"For what?"

"For the day!"

"Oh…" Huey's eyes had a persistent desire to examine the pavement below his feet. "…You're welcome…Jazmine."

She smiled lightly at the sound of her name in his voice. Only when he said it did it make her feel ever so lucky to own that name.

"G'night, Huey." The toe of her shoe began to tap the ground, as if waiting patiently for something special to happen. She leaned forward and closed her eyes, lips in a little pucker.

Huey just stared at her in bewilderment. "…What are you doing…?"

"Huh?" her eyes shot open. "O-Oh…well…I saw this in a movie once. When a boy walks a girl home, and they're at her doorstep, the girl usually leans forward and then the boy does something…I don't remember what, cuz my mom changed the channel after that."

Suddenly Huey jerked back as if he had been burned. Oh. He knew THAT movie. "…You know, it's late, I have to get home before Granddad gets on me again. See you later, Jazmine." He made a quick retreat with his hands in his pockets. His ears twitched when he heard the door screech as she went inside. Huey stopped, and looked behind his shoulder to make sure she had gone in. He caught a glimpse of her kinky 'afro' just before she shut the door.

He went on walking back to his house.

On Jazmine's side of the door, she gently closed it to hear the click, and slid down the door when she felt safe enough. Her hands ran through her 'frizzy' hair in her high ponytail. "…African Beauty, huh…?" her lips formed into a small pout.

**Next Day**

There was a faint knock on the door that signaled Granddad's daily demand for one of the brothers to go and get the door. Usually it was Riley's job to fetch the door, but today it was Huey's turn.

Once the door came open, his eyes went wide, just enough to join his parted lips of awe.

"Hi, Huey!" the sing-song voice greeted.

"…Jazmine…?" he asked lowly, eyebrows lifted in confusion or shock, no one could truly tell.

It was Jazmine Dubois, but not the one he knew since they were ten, not the one with the nappy orange blondish hair.

She smiled shyly at him. "I got it done…"

—Her hair. It was no longer in two puffballs or one 'fruffy afro.' But instead, it was straight. Rapunzel straight, to where it reached all the way down to her legs. She wore it behind a green headband, but the two curls in front of her ears were no longer curls, but instead straight strands. To tell the truth, it didn't even look like Jazmine Dubois one bit. Barbie maybe, but not the sweet, smitten, bi-racial girl he grew up with.

"Mom took me to this really fancy Beauty Shop the other day, and I got it done! It took eight hours though…" Jazmine twirled around in her green dress with her hair wavering behind her. "…Do you like it, Huey?" she held her hands in her dress with longing eyes, blushing a little.

He just stared at her, now looking at her in some type of sneer. "…Uh…its…Jazmine…" before he could comment, Riley's head had poked out from the doorframe.

"OH! Bow wow wow yippy yo yippy yay!" his eyes bulged, a grin on his face. "Who's the light-skinned hoe—"

Huey quickly knocked him away as a squeaky, "OW!" followed.

He turned back to Jazmine, blinked and finally stated his answer. "…Its…its okay…I guess."

"Just…okay?" Her smile struggled to uphold.

"I mean its…just different. That's all." He repeated, still staring at her bizarrely.

"Oh…" she was failing to keep on smiling. "…um t-thank you…"

Huey grabbed his bluish purple scarf from the hanger on the side of the door and shut it behind him. "Are you here for anything else besides showing off your new hair?"

Jazmine nodded. "My parents said we could go to the hill tonight and watch the stars, like I asked. So…do you want to go with me tonight?"

One of Huey's eyebrows furrowed as the other switched to a raised position. 'She straightens her hair on the same day she plans to go star-watching tonight atop a romantic hill. Straight hair, late night star-gazing. If I knew any better, I'm guessing this all adds up to a date.' "I didn't ask Granddad yet. So we'll have to see. Let's go there now; I can always ask him later. I have twenty-four hours."

"Okay!" she smiled.

He wasn't planning to go now. Now that he knew her plan.

**Hill top**

"Urgh…" Jazmine whined as she continued to brush away the scattered strands of her hair flying all over her face with the dancing winds. "…Oooooh I hate this…"

"Starting to miss your natural hair, yet?" Huey asked her with his back turned to her, standing feet away with his afro and scarf blowing in the direction of the hefty breezes.

"Noooo!" she pouted. "I like this hair better…" she smiled, running her fingers through it. "I can actually run my hands through it, and they won't get stuck! I wish I could always have straight hair…I hated my hair before."

There was a long awkward silence.

"Why'd you straighten it?"

Jazmine flinched at the sudden question, blushing lightly. "…Huh…?"

"…You heard me." his voice went dismal.

"Because…" she buried her face behind her knees. "…just because…wait, you weren't even paying attention to me yesterday, were you?" she frowned.

"Of course I was. You were complaining about how frizzy your hair was all day. I didn't think you'd actually ruin yourself by doing it."

Jazmine felt offended. "Well that's just you, isn't it? You never think of the bright side to me, do you?"

Huey shook his head. "That has nothing to do with this. How would you see me or feel if I cut or trimmed my afro?"

Jazmine paused to think about it. "...Hm, that would be kind of weird. Only because I love your afro! It makes you look so mysterious in that sort of dashing and handsome way, you know?" she smiled sweetly, but then suddenly cringed in embarrassment when he stared her from behind his shoulder in slightly widened eyes. "…N-Not that I…oh darn…" she blushed behind her knees.

Huey just blinked at her widely, before lifting another brown brow, and then turned back to the city below them with his eyes closed. The faintest redness had made itself rowed along his cheeks.

"So…will you still be here later on tonight?"

"I don't know, maybe. I'll probably meet you here."

"Seven sharp? Cuz I have to go to bed at nine."

"Seven-thirty."

"Then it's—"

"Not a date." Huey finished.

"Heeey! I didn't say it was!" Jazmine pouted.

"Sure you weren't…don't play stupid. I know what you're thinking." Huey's slanted eyes glanced over at her. "It's not a date, alright…?"

"Okay, okay…" Jazmine murmured. "Seven-thirty it is. Wanna get some ice cream? I'll buy!"

"No thanks." Huey walked downhill. "It's almost five o'clock." He checked his golden watch. "I gotta get home for dinner."

"Okay…" Jazmine nodded, getting up too. She began to walk downhill with him, until her one foot was still asleep, giving her wobbly balance. Without reason she was jerked forward, but instead of hitting the ground, ran into Huey's back and latched onto him to keep from the fear of falling.

Huey looked back at her as she was still buried into the back of his warm bluish purple sweater with her arms wrapped tightly around his mid-area. "…Jazmine…" he sighed. "…Here." He loaned her his arm just so that she would be secure from falling again.

Jazmine clung to it tightly as his hands remained in his pockets.

He paused to look down on her figure, clinging to him for dear life it seemed. His flattened burgundy eyes found the auburn clouds. Was it sunset already?

All the way into the neighborhood, she had not even let up her grip on him.

"We're not on the steepness of the hill anymore," Huey confirmed as his eyes lazily kept off to the side. "So you can let go."

"My legs are still asleep." She gazed up at him in a plea, her head brushing against his shoulder lightly, causing him to look upon her in sudden alert that was only shown in his eyes.

The more they walked, the more she hugged his arm to her, almost like it was something too precious to let go of. And the more they walked like this, the more by passers would chant or whisper how cute they were:

"Aw, how adorable, isn't young love so precious?"

"That reminds me of my first crush…hmph, he never let me cling to him like that."

"Look how she's resting against his shoulder, yup, it's love, love, love."

"What are they, like four? How inappropriate…"

Since the comments were loud enough for anyone across the street to hear, Huey couldn't help but agree with the very last one. All of them, except for the last, were quoted from young women or preppy teenagers.

"Oh-my-god! Look at them! Look! Don't they look so cute together?!"

Huey glared at each one, and finally spoke out, "If you people want to talk about us behind our backs, please, do it so we CAN'T hear you!"

**Freeman Residence**

"Yo' Huey? Why you eatin' so slow, man? It's almost seven-thirty already!" Riley grunted.

"Is there a reason why he should be eating faster?" Granddad raised his eyebrow, taking a bite out of his cornbread.

"Yea', cuz Huey gon' be late for his DATE if he don't hurry up!" Riley gave him a sly smirk, elbowing his brother with a wink.

Huey stopped eating almost immediately after he said that. He glared darkly at his younger brother, and if looks could kill, Riley would've been hung, suspended in the backyard tree right about now.

"Date? Huey, what's he talkin' 'bout?"

"He knows what I'm talkin' 'bout, Granddad! He was plannin' ta' go out wit' Jazmine tonight, under the stars, you know, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!" Riley whispered over to his Granddad as if it were some type of secret.

The sound of Huey's fork abruptly clashing with his glass plate echoed in the halls of the house.

"…Shut up…" Huey snarled dangerously like a black wolf ready to kill.

"Man, I'm just sayin'! It's obvious you been wantin' that piece of the Dubois daughter ever since y'all first met!—OW!!"

The dinning table quaked as Huey kicked him under the table, his eyes closed in frustration. He wasn't trying to back-talk his brother, for Riley already knew none of that was true, he just wanted to annoy him just to at least crack his nerves of steel.

"What choo hittin' me fo', IT'S DA' TRUTH!" Riley barked. "—OW!!"

Huey's fist pounded him in the shoulder.

"Riley, stop it! If Huey wants to date the neighbor's daughter, then that's his business!"

"GRANDDAD!!" Huey shouted. "I'm only twelve years old! I can't have a girlfriend!"

"Boy you gon' be thirteen next month. Besides, that ain't true. Some people were born dating."

"What is WRONG with you people?! Little kids aren't supposed to be dating!" Huey stood up, making a big deal out of it. "We don't even know what love is let alone life! We haven't been in the world long enough to fully understand the concept! What's the point of dating if you're not even going to stay together that young?! NO POINT AT ALL!"

Granddad and Riley's eyes darted over to each other.

"So, where y'all goin'? You gotta let me know so I can warn you when Tom comes after you with a rifle." Granddad grinned, completely ignoring what Huey said before.

"URGH! I CAN'T STAND Y'ALL! I'M LEAVIN'!" Huey left the table and grabbed his black coat and scarf, walking out with clenched fists and out into the night.

The Freemans just stared at the door in blankness when he slammed it.

"I call dibs if he kisses her at her doorstep." Riley betted, grinning at his Grandfather.

"…How much you wanna bet?" Granddad took out his wallet.

**Hilltop **

A sigh erupted in the grass blades of the hill. Jazmine hugged her knees to her chest. She looked down on her small Hello Kitty electronic watch. "…Seven-fifty five." She moaned.

She even decided to put on something different tonight, just for this occasion. A white silk sleeveless dress with a blue ribbon tied around her waist and one around her head to keep her straightened hair back was her newest outfit. Not to earn a kiss on the cheek, or anything like that, just to see his eyes light up when he looked at her. That's all she wanted. Nothing more than that.

Her disappointed green irises concentrated dimly on the starry night.

She was right. The stars were so much closer and clearer on the hill at night time. Blue and white blazes of light glowing between the galaxies, absolutely heart-stopping.

"…You know…you guys aren't so beautiful anymore when Huey's not here…" she told them. "Not to be rude or anything…but when Huey's here, you guys really seem to glow…it's even more beautiful…for some reason."

And so she waited a few more hours into the night. And all those hours, he never even showed up. Rain was cast upon all of Woodcrest, even on Jazmine, with her straightened hair and silk white dress. She gazed up at the clouds in horror as her lovely outfit and hair was soon drenched in soaking wet rain. She felt hot tears rush up to her watery green eyes, blurring her sight as she tried not to cry. It just so happened she was not as strong as she thought, and she was left sobbing all night into her knees. She wiped her wet nose and looked at her watch again as it continued to pour.

"…Nine-o'clock…" she sniffled.

Slowly she stood up and headed back to the city. At about nine-fifteen she was walking on the streets, head held down, eyes red and puffy, just like her hair. She got to cherish it straight for only a few hours in a day. Now it was back to the old Jazmine Dubois. She was almost reaching her block now.

The moment her foot stepped on the curb that led to her neighborhood, the rain wasn't pouring over her shoulders anymore. Jazmine's eyes slowly scanned up the sky over her, flinching as she saw a black umbrella over her head. And when she found the owner, her tears were finally left penetrated. In shock, she stared into the intense burgundy eyes of Huey Freeman. Her hands twisted and squeezed the end of her white dress, embarrassed that he had to see her this way; wet, muddy, and tearstained. For some reason she felt a little cross inside.

Huey's eyes locked on hers. A look for a longingly sad smile tugged on the expression of his face, but it never did appear.

"…Jazmine…I-I'm sorry I didn't come sooner…" he whispered, feeling pity for her.

Jazmine gave a small smile, and quickly threw her arms around his neck and cried a little into his shoulder. "…Oh Huey…" she whispered between some sniffles.

Her action slightly shocked him, but he eased his shoulders and let her embrace him tightly, his one hand still holding the umbrella.

He walked her all the way home, her still nuzzled up into his warm body. But Jazmine said she wasn't ready to go inside just yet. So they sat on her doorstep, under the doorframe shed. Huey folded in his umbrella and held it beside him as they just watched raindrops fall. He was dry, and she was soaking wet. How humiliating.

The entire time they had not looked at each other. Jazmine strained to find her confidence to at least glance over at him. Finally she grasped it, just enough to stare.

He was staring far off into the gloominess of the musty rain, his intent maroon eyes hard and strange, tan brown lips an undefined line always to be sealed in silence. It just occurred to her that he was more beautiful when he was silent and focused without disruption. She fidgeted a little. He was driving her insane just by sitting there.

Jazmine pressed her fists down on her knees and pulled her legs close together. She looked up at Huey and leaned over on his side. "…What made you come…?"

He didn't answer for sometime.

"I had this feeling you'd be up there waiting, still. When it started raining, that's what reminded me about the star-watching plan tonight." He explained to her while not looking at her. "When I went back up to the hill, you weren't there. You had me worried…" his eyes drew to her. "…But I caught you just in time."

Even through the mud, a visible streak of pink was plastered on her face once more. She held her cheeks in her palms, to feel why she felt so hot.

It felt painful. She loved him; she knew it. It wasn't just some childish infatuation any more. She loved him deeply in her heart of hearts. She loved everything about him, from those intense burgundy red eyes to the way he showed her how much she meant to him just by the littlest things ever so rarely. She loved the way he was cruel to her and then apologized so quietly. Absolutely everything was what she loved about Huey Freeman. And in truth, nothing he could say or do could spoil this feeling. She would always have it deep within the chambers of her heart, even if she were fighting a losing battle to claim him.

"…You shouldn't have straightened it, you know…"

She looked back at him nervously. "Huh…?"

He was staring at her with those hard crimson eyes that glowed in the darkness. Suddenly, they flattened in a way she had never seen before. "…It was nice and all straight, but..." He looked up at the dark clouds soaring over them. "…It was fine before…you're fine the way you are, Jazmine…you should know that."

Jazmine just blinked with pink tinted on her rosy cheeks. She smiled down into her knees. "…So you're saying…it was pretty…the way it was…Huey Freeman?"

"Don't put words into my mouth, Jazmine Dubois…" automatically he stood up the moment she parted her lips to say something. He opened up his umbrella outside under the rain and got ready to leave. "…I better get home. You should go inside, too."

"Y-Yeah…" she nodded.

Huey walked out into the rain under his umbrella. "…Goodnight, Jazmine."

"Wait!" She ran out in the rain with him, and stood under his umbrella, facing him, still clutching her dress. All of the sudden she couldn't help but stand there, looking at her ruined dress, cheeks still flushed, as if waiting for something special to happen once again. Anything special to happen. "U-Um…Huey…" she stuttered.

He just blinked. "What is it now?"

She suddenly leaned forward and squeezed her eyes shut, lips puckered again.

Huey just gave her a bizarre stare and shook his head. 'Hopeless girls…I'll never understand them.' he thought to himself.

But his own will became hopeless when he was suddenly frozen solid when a pair of lips quickly planted on his, just in a small peck or brush of warmth, and drew back quicker than four seconds. He stood there all tense with his usually calm eyes buggy and wide and lips sealed shut.

"Goodnight, Huey…" she rushed back to her door, squeezing her eyes shut in thought of what she just did, but before opening it she paused when he had called for her.

Jazmine peered behind her shoulder in somewhat fear of his reaction, expecting to come face to face with a glare.

Huey gazed at her for a long moment, eyes almost gleaming even in darkness. He had the most intense eyes. But suddenly they softened, not too much, but just enough to indicate he was looking at her differently than he usually did…the way she always wanted him to look at her.

The air fell silent again.

Jazmine waited.

And finally, "…You looked pretty tonight…" he said in a mere whisper under his umbrella.

Jazmine's expression hadn't changed, the nervousness was still in her eyes, but red, not pink, red was burning her cheeks to the maximum now. How strange it was, that he just made her every wish come true. "…T-Thank you…G'night…H-Huey…" she took in a deep breath and opened her door, quickly shutting it.

Huey about-faced, in closed eyes. No one could see, not even a bypassing streetwalker, but the smallest of all smiles, had made its home on his face.

As he walked across the street to his family, hearing Riley shout how he won the bet, he began to narrate his thoughts in his mind:

_'I've never smiled before. Never had anything to smile for. I really don't even know what I'm smiling about. Was it because of what happened? Or because I finally told her what she always wanted to hear? But that's what guys were supposed to do, right? Tell the girl they look lovely on that very night, or accept a kiss from them when the night is over, weren't they? Or at least I think that's what they were supposed to do. I saw it in a movie once…yeah…in a movie.'_


End file.
